Pliskova, Wozniacki in Qatar final after longest day
DOHA: Karolina Pliskova and Caroline Wozniacki will meet each other in the Qatar Open final after both won two matches on a long, soggy and gruelling Friday in Doha.
On another day punctuated by heavy showers and thunderstorms, meaning long delays for the players, Czech Pliskova beat Zhang Shuai of China 6-2, 6-0, then Dominika Cibulkova in an exciting semifinal 6-4, 4-6, 6-3. Her playing day began at 12:30 local time (0930 GMT) ending just before 11 pm.
Similarly Dane Wozniacki first beat American qualifier Lauren Davies 7-5 6-1, then Olympic gold medallist Monica Puig 6-1, 6-2, finishing past midnight.
Puig was also playing her second match of the day having earlier completed her victory against Daria Kasatkina of Russia, 6-4, 5-7, 6-4. “It’s been really tough conditions with all the waiting and everything,” said Wozniacki.
Pliskova, speaking before she knew who her final opponent would be, said “every final is tough”.
The pair have met three times before, with Wozniacki winning on every occasion. However they have not met since 2014.
Pliskova, 24, is ranked number three in the world, Wozniacki, who is two years older, is number 18.
Incredibly, it also means the rainravaged tournament may even finish on time, despite the schedule being battered because of the terrible weather conditions throughout the week.
Friday was one of the worst days yet, with delays up to around five because of thunderstorms.
It took some 12 hours to complete just five singles matches.
If the final does go ahead on Saturday it will come as a great relief to organisers.
Indeed, just hours before Pliskova and Wozniacki won through to Saturday’s shootout, organisers were talking about the tournament Renaissance, rounded the stunning Musandam Peninsula on Oman’s northern tip Team Al Mouj Muscat, with Omani sailors Sultan al Balushi and Nawaf al Ghadani onboard, had taken the top spot back. With around 25 miles to sail and winds of up to 30 knots blasting them along, Team Al finishing without a winner because of the huge number of rain delays during the week as Qatar experiences some of its wettest weather in years.
Tariq Darwish Zainal, SecretaryGeneral of the Qatar Tennis Federation, said play would not continue after Sunday even if the final matches could not be played.
Rain has delayed play on every single day, virtually wiping out all matches on two separate days. Mouj Muscat looked like favourites to win the leg. But an inside line saw EFG Bank Monaco regain the lead once more, an advantage they were able to hang on to until the finish line just in front of Khasab’s port. Team Renaissance, skippered by Fahad al Hasni, completed the podium eight minutes behind the leg winners having overtaken Team Zain (KUW) on the final stretch.
The victory gives EFG Bank Monaco the overall lead in EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour after two legs, with three more offshore stages
and two in-port